Rough Around the Edges
by JulietteXx
Summary: She's pretty and popular. He's the bad boy everyone loves to hate. One school project could change everything. R&R! -Jules
1. Chapter 1

**Rough Around the Edges**

**Chapter One: **

"It's not that noticeable, Janet." I lied to my best friend, Janet Sweeney. She was talking about the big zit on her chin. I had to lie to her because if I told her that the zit was huge, then she would be really mad at me the rest of the day…or until the fat thing disappeared. She frowned when I said that.

"It really _is_, though. Don't lie just because you want to make me feel better." Janet said to me, flipping her jet black hair over her shoulder. I sighed as we both walked down the hall to our next class.

If you were wondering, my name is Daniela Marx and I'm fourteen years old. I'm a freshman at Castle Rock Junior High and Janet and I are the most popular girls here. Everyone loves us because…well, I don't really know but they do. Janet's more of the bitchy attitude girl, while I'm the sweet innocent girl. Janet had a boyfriend, Bruce Wade. I didn't have one, but Jerry Cleaver always had his eyes on me.

I smoothed out my yellow dress with the black band in the middle and smiled at the people staring at me in the hall. We got to our classroom just as the bell rang and took our seats in the back.

"Class, is everyone here…wait, where's Chambers?" our teacher, Mr. Lee, asked. Janet and I looked around the room to Chris Chamber's seat. It was in front of this boy, Gordie Lachance's seat. I sighed. Chris was _always_ late to class. I wasn't that good of friends with him, but he looked mean enough for Janet and I to stay away. Gordie looked over at Janet and I and smiled. I smiled back at the poor kid. I also wasn't really friends with him, but he always struck me as odd or…distant. He wasn't the worst looking kid but he was weird and always writing that notebook of his.

Suddenly, the door flung open, and in walked Chris, clad in white tee shirt and loose jeans. He had one book in his hand and his head was down.

"How kind of you to grace us with your presence, Mr. Chambers." Mr. Lee said and Chris turned around to salute him and walk back to his seat. As he walked past my desk, we exchanged stares. It was as if it was slow motion as the tension between us grew. His blue eyes molded with my green ones and I gasped.

"Take a seat, Chambers." Mr. Lee said, breaking our gazes. Chris looked away and took his seat, backwards diagonal from me. I shivered at the thought of the 'moment' we just shared. I hoped he didn't think it meant something.

"Now, class I am going to assign your semester project. It is worth about sixty percent of your grades, kids." Mr. Lee began. I took a swift look back at Chris and he was staring directly at me. I turned away as quickly as I could and tried to pay attention to Mr. Lee. "I am going to assign you to a partner and the project is that you must have a written report or speech about that person. It must be who you think that person really is." I groaned thinking, 'oh great, another project'. The worst part was the assigned partners deal. I mean, what if I get stuck working with some loser like…Chris Chambers. I shuddered at the thought of talking to the class about who I thought he really was. What I really thought he was, was scum and worthlessness. The kid was obviously going nowhere in life what with an alcoholic dad and a brother like Eyeball Chambers. I eyed Janet as she stared into space, her chin propped up by her elbow leaning on the desk while she carelessly listened to Mr. Lee.

"Now I'm going to assign your partners. Lindsay, you are with…Margaret." I noticed the two girls highfiving at the front of the class. "Janet Sweeney…you are with Mr. Lachance." I saw Janet roll her eyes and groan as she looked back at Gordie. He smiled hopelessly. "Miss Marx…how about the Chambers boy?" He said to me and I stopped breathing.

Her I was picking out every detail on how I hate the boy and now I have him as my partner. Great. How utterly cliché, the girl who doesn't want to be with this kid and ends up being with him.

"Melanie and Ryan…" Mr. Lee droned on down the list and I leaned back in my chair. I turned around to see Chambers. He was smirking at me and I glared my bright eyes at him. I turned my chair slightly around so I could talk to him.

"You look here Chambers," I whispered and he chuckled. "if we get a bad mark on this project I am seriously going to do some damage to that already damaged head of yours. Okay?" I said, in all seriousness. Usually when I use that tone with anybody, they back off, but Chris just chuckled some more. "You think this is funny? You think I _want_ to be paired with a delinquent like you?" I asked. He grinned.

"Whatever, Marx." He said, still smiling. I rolled my eyes and turned my back on him. Great, this project was going to go 'oh-so' well. NOT.

**a/n: hayyy! Long time no see, eh? Here's a new story that will be filled with lots of chapters and excitement, romance, drama and craziness! Hope you like it! Express your love with some reviews please? And also, ask me anything you want at my formspring : **

**.me/juliettexXx**

**-xoxo, Jules! **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Lunch was uneventful as always. I sat with Janet, Lindsey, and Margaret. Lindsey and Margaret were blabbing away about their project to each other and Janet and I were just groaning and worrying about how awful our projects were going to be.

"Gordie doesn't seem so bad, but Chris? He's got bad written all over him." I shuddered as the image of him at my house…in my room…working on our reports together…UGH! He would probably try to offer me drugs or something…the little devil!

"I wonder if Bruce will mind that my project partner's a boy and we have to work alone together." Janet thought out loud. I rolled my eyes and stared over at Chris's lunch table. There sat him, Gordie, a boy named Teddy Duchamp, and another kid named Vern Tessio. I knew them all sort of, but we weren't really friends. Chris was talking and they were all listening as if it were big news. Then I saw them all turn and look at me. I blushed at my spying skills getting caught and turned away immediately.

"Daniela, you're so lucky," Margaret said. I snapped out of my little daze and frowned at her.

"I am?" I asked, confused. She nodded and smiled.

"You get to work with the bad boy! Maybe you too will even fall in love!" She gushed and I groaned.

"You've got to be kidding me." I scoffed and she laughed.

"No I'm serous! Chris Chambers is _way_ hot!" She said. My eyes widened.

"Maggie do you hear yourself? This is _Chris Chambers_ we're talking about! Jeez, snap out of it!" I shouted at her and she sat back. Hopefully I had silenced her. It was bad enough that I was partnered with FBI's Most Wanted, but now my friends had to go all gaga about it? Totally crazy!

At my locker, I looked around the hall. I retrieved my science book from my locker and slammed it shut. Chris approached me and leaned on the locker next to mine. I couldn't believe he thought he could just waltz up to me and talk to me like we were…'friends'. I mean he was scum and I was diamonds, obviously. Not to be a bitch but I_ was___extremely popular.

"Are you excited to be working with me?" He asked, chuckling. I groaned.

"Oh so very excited, Christopher!" I shrieked with sarcastic excitement. Chris smiled.

"Really?" He asked with fake enthusiasm. I stopped smiling and narrowed my eyes.

"No I'm totally kidding. Now Janet and I decided that after school, you and Gordie should meet us at Blue Point for some milkshakes and then we can go work on our projects." I told him dryly. He rolled his eyes.

"What makes you think you can just tell me where to go and what to do?" he asked. I glared into those baby blues of his.

"I'm Daniela Marx and what I say goes. Okay, bad boy?" I asked with full seriousness in my eyes.

"Whatever floats your boat." He smiled as I turned to walk away.

"Really? Well I hope _your _boat sinks." I said, with a fake grin and walked to my next class. I left Chris back at my locker and rolled my eyes. This was going to be a lot harder than I thought.

Janet and I walked into the Blue Point Diner together after school left out and we took a seat at a booth table near the back.

"Are you sure they're coming? I don't want to get stood up by a bunch of losers." Janet asked in concern.

"Hopefully we will get stood by them and we wont have to talk to them or do this stupid project!" I said with angst. I wasn't really sure why I had so much hatred towards Chris Chambers, I barely knew the kid. But if rumors were true, then he was a bad kid. A bad kid was something I wouldn't like to get tangled up in. Plus, I was me and he was him. We were on to different levels of the society. I was wealthy, lived in the View, had wealthy friends and a lot of nice clothes and items. He was poor, lived in the Way, wore the same thing everyday (white tee and jeans) and had like three friends. Not to mention the drug and alcohol abuse that must've gone on in that house. And his brother was just as bad as him, what with being second in command of the Cobras.

I glanced by the entrance to see Chris and Gordie walk in silently, and search the restaurant for us.

"I spoke too soon," I said, groaning. They finally spotted us and walked to our table.

"Hello Ladies," Gordie said, taking a seat across from us. Chris did the same.

"Whatever, Geeks." Janet said, her true bitchiness coming out. "Listen good, we are willing to be as nice as possible and let you guys work with us on these projects-"

"Woah, woah, woah Sweeney. Lee assigned us as partners, you aren't permitting us yourselves." Chris interrupted.

"Hey shut your mouth, Chambers. We could always go to Lee and have this whole partnership switched around." Janet continued. "Now, we are going to get these things finished as soon as possible so we can get this over with, you hear?" she stated. I nodded in agreement. Chris eyed Gordie and then they both laughed. Cracked up actually. If you were in mine or Janet's position right then, you would've felt a little offended.

"Look girls, we don't like you just as much as you don't like us so we're willing to compromise on this. We will hangout for two hours after every school day for a week. If the project isn't done by then, we'll add on an extra two days. That way we have 10 hours to get to know each other and find out 'who we really are'. Deal?" Chris asked us. Janet and I exchanged looks and then I nodded.

"Deal. Now come on Chambers, let's get these two hours over with. I have plenty of better things to do so come on," I said, standing up from the table.

"Whatever you say, Your Highness." Chris cracked at me, and I groaned.

This was going to be a long week.

**a/n: quick update? I think yes. Do you like it? I really am falling in love with this story! Daniela is so super bitchy and Chris just takes it…0.0 where will this lead? Love you all who support me and I hope you review!**

**ASK ME STUFF AT MY FORMSPRING: **

**.me/juliettexXx**

**no seriously ask me stuff.**

**-Juliette 3 xoxox**


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